Paper Money: New Acquisitions

$25? Holy smokes someone missed out! Glad it wasn't you!

 

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Harris - fairly sure that is a contemporary counterfeit.

Today's new get is a pickup from a rare bank, this 1882 BB $20 from Zanesville, Ohio. Only five notes known from this bank, including this one. Got it at a good price I think for the rarity, nice to grab a hard to get bank with a cool name like the Union National Bank of Zanesville...

 

"Harris - fairly sure that is a contemporary counterfeit"

Would you educate us why it is a counterfeit?
Thanks

 

Hey Midas - the lazy deuce seems like it was a common target for counterfeiting, not sure why, but many of them show up - Kinderhook is a common one. Anyways, most counterfeits are best found looking at portraits (humans have an insanely powerful facial recognition algorithm). This note, the condition makes it a little tough, but the facial engraving looks wrong, as do the serial numbers. Again, the condition makes it a bit harder than usual, but I'm 99% sure it's a fake. Still a steal at $25.

Let's look at a note that's the real deal - this Exchange Bank of Virginia $20. You might recognize many of the engravings as familiar, mainly because they appear on Republic of Texas notes that are from the same time - the Indian, the ship, and the image of Minerva at bottom left - all appear on the popular Republic of Texas notes of the 1840's. Why not reuse great designs? This variant is similar to a previous one, this one not having a printed back however, and a slightly more colorful overprint denoting the value in the front. I posted the other variant a while ago...

 

Here are three new obsoletes I bought from Tom Denly at the Baltimore coin show last week.

The first is a nice Franklin Bank (Jersey City) $20 (W-889) at a cool R-6. Franklin was incorporated in 1825 and stumbled along only until October, 1827 when it closed. The signers are W.A. Thompson and Louis M. Wiss, S/N 197. I also have a $1 note issued by this bank.

The second is a 50 Cent scrip from the private Monroe Forge near May's Landing, NJ. I believe Monroe Forge was a charcoal furnace, if I remember my research correctly. These pieces aren't serialized, but are all signed by Lewis Walker. It's listed as an R-4, but I suspect it may be a bit scarcer. The condition isn't the best, but I haven't seen this denomination before so decided to buy it. Listed by Wait as W-1199. I also have a 25 Cent example in my collection.

The last is a common (R-2) $3 note of the Hoboken Banking & Grazing Co. (you have to love that name). It was incorporated in 1823 and failed sometime in the early 1830s. The serial number appears to be 541, but it's hard to read. The signer is M.(?) Murray. Listed in Wait as W-780. I also have a $2 note from this bank.

Thanks for looking.

Bruce

 

Thanks MEC2. IMO, counterfeiting has become a serious problem to coin/currency collectors.
I'm going to study both of the bills you referenced.

 

Midas - contemporary counterfeiting is actually a neat facet of currency collecting, whereas the coin side has REALLY problematic counterfeiting that is modern, mostly of mint marks and of course phony metal. When you will take the time to make a phony $15 silver eagle, you know there is a problem. One thing about currency - FAR easier to spot a fake compared to coins. Too much detail in most post Civil War bank notes to pull off an easy, cheap ruse.

Today's new pickup is a Five Forint note from the period of the Hungarian Revolution... nice big note well engraved, printed to finance the overthrow of the rule of Hungary by the Habsburg dynasty of Austria.

 

Thanks again MEC2. Very nice Five Forint note. Have not seen the arm hammer before. Cool.

 

Midas;
You not only have the Midas touch you have his pocket book as well. :>)

 

Short snorter with the signature of Johnny Weissmuller. Weissmuller trained pilots in WWII on how to survive in the water. Most of the other signatures are pilots. Paul Stader whose signature is underneath Weissmuller's was his trainer and stunt double. The cut signature above is for comparison.

I was after it for the pilot's signatures. I could not decipher Weissmuller's originally. Researching Stader led me to Weissmuller.

 

"You not only have the Midas touch you have his pocket book as well"

SaltySam, I can only wish your statement is correct!

 

The counterfeit Lazy Deuce above just sold on theBay for $150. No notation of it's status...

Today's new pickup is a really sharp looking $1 FRBN from the Chicago district. I have a display frame with all 12 districts already, but now I am trying to fill it in with the rarest sigs from each district in at least VF. This note qualifies, these sigs are far tougher to get than the other two releases from Chicago. Of course, it's still Chicago, so they aren't rare, but the other two are twice and three times as common, and this one looks great, so I'm happy I can put it in the frame and check Chicago off the list...

 

No kidding, I view each new post when they are added, lovely stuff.

 

He does have a great collection. I'm usually a few pages behind...

 

My printing press isn't fast enough to keep pace with all MEC2's purchases. :>)

 

"Today's new pickup is a really sharp looking $1 FRBN from the Chicago district . . . . "

MEC2, that's a beautiful note. You must have one of the most comprehensive collections ever.

"The counterfeit Lazy Deuce above just sold on theBay for $150"


The same note or one just like it?

mike

 

Mike - same exact note... http://www.ebay.com/itm/151749927240?

Thanks for the kind words all, I do like sharing my notes, especially since my wife thinks my hobby is insane... today's new pickup is almost as good looking as she is, this dynamite looking 20 Pesos Costa Rica note. The engraving and colors on this ABNCo note are downright sultry, the paddlewheel steamship on the front, some dame on the back, love these turn of the century Costa Rica private bank designs...

 

Very nice, I really like that note.

 

what a nice costa rica note!

 

"Mike - same exact note...http://www.ebay.com/itm/151749927240?"

and it sold for $151.00!!! I believe the seller bought it for $25.00!

Beautiful Costa Rica ABNCo note. I bought the same note at the Whitman show a few years ago.